Dr. A. Everette James, Jr. was recently given the 2015 North Carolina Award for Fine Arts in Raleigh, NC.

Established by the General Assembly in 1961, the North Carolina Award is the highest civilian honor given by the state. Presented annually since 1964, the award recognizes significant contributions to the state and nation in the fields of fine art, literature, public service and science. Though given by the governor, the award is administerd by our agency.

Fine Arts: Dr. A. Everette James, Jr.

Dr. Everette James is a true connoisseur of art. He widely collects, passionately studies, deftly writes about and generously shares many forms of art. Born and raised in the Martin County town of Robersonville, James attended the University of North Carolina and Duke University Medical School. Specializing in radiology, he completed post-doctoral work at Harvard Medical School and Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, and was as an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Society of Medicine in England.

Having thoroughly enjoyed an Impressionist exhibit that he attended in Massachusetts, James decided to collect Impressionist art, but quickly realized his radiologist salary would not support this endeavor so he decided to concentrate on acquiring the work of women artists who, at the time, were under-recognized. As some of those pieces increased in value, he was able to sell a few to finance his ever-growing passion for collecting as it expanded into American folk art, Southern art and indigenous crafts. With each new art form, James researched the art’s evolution, techniques and influences, periodically leading to the publication of an informative article or scholarly book.

Over the years, James has shared his art and crafts collections with museums, educational institutions and clubs around the country. He is particularly fond of bringing art and the humanities to hospitals through exhibits and lectures. In 1993, James opened a folk art museum in Robersonville in a restored Primitive Baptist Church called St. James Place, now on the National Register of Historic Places, that exhibits folk art, antique decoys and pottery.

James is the author of more than 500 books and articles on medicine, law, ethics, art, and folklore and even fiction. In the 1980s, he combined his vocation and his avocation. He co-authored an article on the use of digital radiography to analyze paintings, a practice that has since become standard.